NATtI:1AL AND SPIRITUAL, Co:ut'.ttteU. place, bath respect unto the life we had in Adam: for the deprivation of that life, was in the sanction of the law, thou shaft die the death. This spiritual death is com- prised therein, and that in the privation of that spirit- ual life, or lifeunto God, which unregeneratemen never had, neither defacto, nor dejare, in any stateor condi- tion. Wherefore, with respect hereunto, they are dead only negatively; they have it not; but with respect unto the life we had in Adam, they are dead privatively, they have lost that power of living unto God which they bad. Sect. 12. Prom what bath been discoursed, we may discover the nature of this spiritual dealt, under the Power whereof all unregenerate persons do abide; for there are three things in it: (t.) A privation of a prin- ciple of spiritual life enabling us to live unto God. (2.) A negation of all spiritual vital acts;. that is, of all acts and duties of Holy obedience acceptable unto God, and tendingtothe enjoyment of him. (3.) A total detect and want of power for any such acts whatever. All these are in that death which is a privation of life, such as this is. First, there is in it a privation of a principle of spiri- tual life; namely, of that which we had before the en- trance of siu, or a power of living unto God according; to the covenant of works; and a negation of that which . we have by Christ, or a power of livingunto God ac- cording to the tenor of the covenant of grace. Those, therefore, who are thus dead hove sso principle or first power of living unto God, or the performance of any duty to be accepted with him, in order to the enjoÿment of him, according to either covenant. It is with them as to all the acts and ends of life spiritual, as it is with the body as to the acts and ends of life natural, when thesoul i, departed from it. Why else are they said to bedead? Sect. 13. it is objected that there is -a wide dlifier- 'ence betweendeath natural and spiritual. In death na- "tural the soul itself is utterly removed and taken from the body; but in death spiritual it continues. A man is still, notwithstanding this spiritual death, endowed with an understanding, will, and afflictions. And by these, are men enabled to perform their duty unto God; and yield the obedience required of them. Ants. (I.) In life spiritual, the seal is unto the prin- ciple of it as the body is unto the soul in life natural: For; in life natural, the-soul is the quickening princi- 'I' t pie, and the body is the principle .quickened. When the soul departs it leaves the body with all its owns na- tural properties, but utterly deprived of them which it had by virtue of its union with the soul, So in life spi. ritual, the soul is not in and by its essential properties the quickening principle of it, but it is the principle that is quickened. And when the quickening principle of spiritual life departs, it leaves the soul with all its na- tural properties entire as to their essence, though mo- rally corrupted. But of all the power and abilities which it had by virtue of its union with a quickening principleof spiritual life, it is deprived. And to deny such a quickening principle of spiritual life superadded unto us by the grace of Christ, distinct and separate from the naturalticulties of the soul, is, upon the mat- ter, to renounce the whole gospel. It is all one, as to deny that Adam was created in the image of God, which he lost, and that we are renewed unto the image of God by Jesus Christ. Hence, (2dly,) Whatever the soul acts in spiritual things by its understanding, will, and affections, as deprived of, or not quickened by this principle of spiritual life, it doth it naturally, not spiritually, as shall be instantly made to appear. Sect. 11. There is therefore, is the first place, a disability or impotency unto all spiritual things to be perforated in a spiritual manner, in all persons not born again by the Spirit, because they are spiritually dead. Whatever theycan do; or however men may call what they do, unless they are endowed with a quickening principle of grace, they can perform no act spiritually vital, no act of life, whereby we live to God, or that is absolutely accepted with him. Hence it is said, the "carnal mind is enmity against God, it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." lisons. viii. 7. so then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God, ver. 8. Men may cavil whilst they. please about this carnal mind, and contend that it is only the sensi. tine part of the soul, or the affections as corrupted by prejudices and depraved habits of vice. Two things are plain in the text: First; That this carnal mind, is in all mankind whoever they be, who are not partakers of the Spirit of God, andhis quickening pourer. Second', ly, that where it is, there is a disability of doing any thing that should please God; which is the sum of what we contend tine, and which men may, with as little a dis- paragement of their modesty, deny, as reject the author- 23
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